Can you tell what kind of pheasant egg by looking?

[RiverOtter]

Today at the local sale barn I bought pheasant eggs. That's all the tag said.

I think they're all gorgeous, so I grabbed them, and it doesn't really matter except as curiosity, but is there a difference in the eggs of different species? Are ringneck eggs a different color from red-golden?

 

[Gotbirdsohyeah]

Yes ringnecks are olive green and red Golden's are tan.maybe 2 Golden's there a little hard to tell from pics.
In N.H.,Tony

 

[RiverOtter]

In person, they all seem to have varying degrees of greenish tint, so that would be ringnecks?
Score! I've heard those are the easiest to start with.

 

[Gotbirdsohyeah]

I don't know who told you they were the easiest.They are cannibals and you have to keep a close eye on them.If you have multiple males it will be a blood bath at some point.Goldens are much easier and calmer birds.But again multiple males unless there are no females,but they are no where's near as bad as ringnecks.Your pen size makes a huge difference too.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[RiverOtter]

Thanks! A neighbor who raised chicks for local release told me they were the easiest to raise as chicks. He said the ornamental types are far more delicate to raise and not as hardy in our harsh winters.

Honestly my on experience with pheasants was keeping a male red-golden temporarily for a petting zoo in the off season. He was such a lovely and fascinating bird that I wanted to try to keep a trio. But as I said, I think they're all beautiful, so my main concern was birds that are relatively hardy, since we're in a pretty harsh microclimate. I was planning on building a pen just for a trio, but was still researching.

But then there were these dozen eggs no one else was bidding on, and my amazing DD got me a new incubator for Mother's Day.... When I got these for $5 it was all I could do to not snatch them up and scurry out like Gollum.

Happily, it will be easy for me to sell any extra males (assuming I manage to hatch and raise any of them!) because plenty of people around here like to keep a male or two for their looks. There were 3 adult mles at the sale today, a red-golden, a yellow-golden an what looked like a RGxLady Amhurst, and they went for between 145 and 205. Which is insane even for here, but a third of that is fairly common, and a bit less for ringnecks.

 

[Gotbirdsohyeah]

I've been raising pheasants for 36 years.In the begining I had ringnecks ,melanistics,white ringnecks,red golden,and by far the Golden's were much easier,they hatch better,brood with little problem and grew to adults with way less problems I remember as a youngster visiting a state hatching facility and all their birds had blinders on to stop them from pecking and killing each other.Ornamentals are beautiful birds as are the ringnecks,but I'd prefer to stay away from ringnecks.
Just my opinion.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[RiverOtter]

Thanks @Gotbirdsohyeah , maybe if I manage to hatch and raise these I'll sell them and use that to invest in some red-goldens.

 

[muddy75]

if they are ringnecks, which they most likely are if just marked pheasant eggs.......you will want to check your state requirements on game breeder permit.....it’s required in most states for ringneck pheasant and bobwhite quail and covers other native species in various states.

 

[RiverOtter]

@muddy75 , they're not considered native in this state. Actually, NY has a release program, where the state will actually give you chicks to raise, on the grounds that you release them.

You have to take 200 at a time ... which is a little deeper than I wanted to jump into

 

[007Sean]

I agree with Tony, @Gotbirdsohyeah , hard to tell by the pic but possibly 1 looks like a Golden's egg? Most likely they are Ring necked eggs.

Ornamental pheasants are way easier to raise than the True pheasants, in general.
Most pheasants, except for the tropical species can handle inclimate weather, as long as they have protection from rain, snow, mud and kept out of drafts.

The True pheasants, Phanisaus colchicus, are way more aggressive and territorial then the ornamentals, such as Lady Amherst and Goldens.

Good luck and hope they hatch for you.